


The Fates

by maze413



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Existentialism, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Science Rant, pretty short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:24:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2330135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maze413/pseuds/maze413
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil tells Carlos a town myth about how Night Vale came to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fates

“Why don’t you tell me some of Night Vale’s myths?” came a voice, barely audible even in the silence of the night. “I mean, you have to have stories other than conspiracies and glowing clouds. What are some of your tall tales?”

The man he spoke to hesitated. Carlos the scientist was never really interested in the fiction—he wanted to know what was real and true. He contemplated this exception as he tried to think of a story to tell.

“Well, there was one,” he murmured back, “that Josie told me. She said it was from her childhood. It was about these beings called the Fates. But, of course, we later discovered that fate was not controlled by overlording entities, but—”

“I know, Cecil,” the scientist interrupted, “The Lizard Kings. But I’d like to hear it anyways.”

“If you say so,” Cecil cleared his throat before he began. “It was once said that there were two Fates who wrote the destiny of our town. Their names were Joseph and Jeffrey.”

Carlos’s voice broke the air of calm around them as he laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Cecil asked, slightly offended.

“Your gods are named like normal people?”

“Of course not,” Cecil scoffed, “the names Joseph and Jeffrey were declared sacred and were prohibited back in 1882.”

“Oh,” Carlos chuckled, “Okay. I’m sorry Cecil. You can go on.”

Cecil sat up, crossing his legs as he faced his boyfriend, and the other followed suit. The two sat facing each other, the scientist’s eyes looking into the pair that seemed to see only the air as he spoke. It was a habit, he’d noticed, whenever Cecil told stories.

“As I was saying,” he continued, his voice of a normal volume. “There were two fates, and their names were Joseph and Jeffery. They wrote down what they wanted to happen in our modest little town, and it happened. They had seemingly infinite time, and within it, they even wrote the words of the citizens. As they wrote down their words, the town would then act.  
“Joseph was the first Fate. He was said to be the one who came up with our town; he wrote the backbone of our story. He gave us the City Council, the first mayor, and even our local branch of the Vague Yet Menacing Government Agency. Although our town is not normally considered ‘boring,’ what he wrote was what we consider mundane, if not also deadly.  
“Jeffery was the Fate who would write the most powerful and terrifying events. He gave us disasters, storms, and monsters… and even love. His actions cost many lives, but they saved us from the repetition of typical life and death.

“The two fates, because they were so busy with their daily work, set out to hire other gods to compose the daily weather. Before long, those other gods became impressed. They volunteered their own creations to contribute to the town. Some even wrote their own stories for the town, but they never kept at it for long.

“And so some people believe that Night Vale is nothing more than a single work of fiction.”

As Cecil finished his story, he stared at the wall, saying nothing more.

“Cecil?

“But how would we know?” the man asked himself, “What if we are just writing on a piece of paper? If I wrote a story, and the character believes that they are real, then how would they ever know that they aren’t?”

“Cecil.”

“I mean, right now, what if I am that character? And the author, Joseph or Jeffery or whoever, is deciding that I now know. This could just be another plot point, and now the main character has become self-aware, and—”

“Cecil!” Cecil jumped as the scientist broke through his trance. “Don’t say that.”

Cecil shook his head, ever so slightly, as he looked back into the air.

“You are real,” Carlos said.

“But how do you know that?”

Carlos paused. As the air grew thick with the lack of an answer, he looked to the wall, beginning to lose himself in thought. He looked to the Voice of Night Vale, the symbol of everything good in his life. He took a breath and spoke.

“Cecil, I am a scientist. And as a scientist, I know that one of the many theories out there is the multiverse theory. If it’s true, then somewhere in the vast expanse of space, there may be a Joseph or a Jeffrey writing about our lives. But what makes them any more real than us? They exist here as a myth, but in their world they may be real. So, even if we are only a story to them, in our world, we are totally and completely real!” Carlos’s voice became giddy at the thought of it, his restless hands talking with him.

“We exist, Cecil, and that fact alone, no matter in what sense, is one of the most exciting things I can think of. I exist, you exist, this entire town exists. Our electrons are circling around our nuclei in a way that cannot be certain unless observed. And yet, all of those small, uncertain things make all of us up. Just the simple way atoms interact with each other make us who we are. And that’s how we know we are real.”

“Carlos…” Cecil said, his eyes finally looking into the pair before him, “That… that makes sense. Thank you.” He let his emotions escape through his nostrils as he let out a tiny, airborne laugh.

“You’re welcome,” Carlos replied, “I just want you to be as real to yourself as you are to me.” He gradually leaned forward, closing his eyes, and feeling Cecil’s forehead rest against his own. “You mean everything to me,” he breathed.

The peaceful bubble of the night again enveloped them as the two leaned against each other, letting the moment of quiet intimacy speak for the both of them.

“Let’s not tell any myths for a while,” the scientist whispered.

“That’s fine with me.”

The two separated, but only for a moment as they shifted from sitting up to lying down on their shared bed. As they got comfortable, they let their limbs tangle beneath the sheets. An echo of “I love you,” bounced through the room as they faced each other in silent unity.

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this idea one day at 6 am. I thought it turned out fairly well. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
